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Sites and Insights: An Expert-Led Lisbon Welcome Tour

Your first taste of Lisbon, side-by-side with a local guide
From US$77 for 1 person
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hrs
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Church of SĂŁo Roque
  • Carmo Convent
  • Santa Justa Lift
  • Praça do ComĂ©rcio
  • Bairro Alto Neighborhood
  • Baixa Neighborhood
  • Chiado Neighborhood

"A conversation with a trusted friend"

"He was a terrific guide and storyteller. Providing excellent context and answered all our questions authentically. It was like having a conversation with a trusted friend and someone who loves the city."

Nancy E.

"Tailored to our interests"

"Tiago was an enthusiastic knowledgeable and intelligent tour guide who tailored the walk talk to our interests and needs"

Yolanda K.

"The perfect way to start our time in Lisbon"

"Raquel was a wonderful guide. We learned so much - it was a perfect way to start out our time in Lisbon. I loved how personalized the tour was, both in how she related the information to us, and also how she shared her own stories. Thank you Raquel!!"

Elizabeth P.
Photos & Highlights
Tour Description
This walking tour of Lisbon takes you to the heart of the bohemian, historic, and creative hubs of Lisbon in the company of an expert guide where you’ll explore its three most iconic neighborhoods: Bairro Alto, Chiado, and Baixa.

There’s no better place to kick things off than at the São Pedro de Alcântara viewing point. With a sweeping view of the hills of Lisbon before you, you’ll learn about the origins of the city—arguably the oldest in Western Europe— as well as the decisive moments in its history that have shaped the way the city has evolved into modern cultural capital. You’ll then make your way through the winding streets of Bairro Alto. You’ll marvel at the treasures within the São Roque Church as evidence of the prominence of the Jesuits in 16th-century Portugal, continuing through the Carmo Convent—a visceral representation of the impact of the 1755 earthquake.
 
You’ll continue into the Chiado neighborhood, a popular shopping district that has long been a haven for artists and creatives. This is the perfect setting to touch upon Portuguese café culture and the literary and artistic movements that have been nurtured here, like the great Renaissance poet Luis de Camões who gives his name to a nearby picturesque square, or the vibrant contemporary art scene. Your expert guide will wrap things up with a stroll through Baixa and the iconic Praça do Comércio to take in the impressive panorama of the Río Tejo, leaving much more acquainted with central Lisbon, with plenty of recommendations from your expert about how to best explore the city further.
Experts
Jose Jose
Historian
Hugo Hugo
Architect
Sara Sara
Local Guide
Cecilia Cecilia
Local Guide
Catarina Catarina
Local Guide
Ilidia Ilidia
Local Guide/Tour manager
ZĂ© ZĂ©
Architect + Local Guide
Filipa Filipa
Archaeologist
Monica Monica
Architect
Jaime Jaime
Local Guide
Bert Bert
Historian
Guilherme Guilherme
Local Guide
Rita Rita
Local Guide
Tiago Tiago
Architect
Ian Ian
Archaeologist
Pedro Pedro
Food Writer
Raquel Raquel
Local Guide
Estela Estela
Art Historian
  • You love to walk and want to cover a lot of ground to orient yourself in the city
  • You're a culture lover interested deeper knowledge in local traditions and customs
If you’re looking to go even deeper into Lisbon’s history, we recommend our Lisbon Old Town Tour in Alfama or our Lisbon Belém Tour.
  • SĂŁo Pedro de Alcântara offers a panoramic view of Lisbon from its terrace, serving as a beloved lookout point that also features a serene garden.
  • Bairro Alto, Chiado, Rossio, Baixa neighborhoods form the vibrant heart of Lisbon, each with its own character, from bohemian vibes to chic boutiques and historic squares.
  • The Church of SĂŁo Roque, modest from the outside, hides a rich interior with ornate chapels, showcasing a splendid example of baroque artistry.
  • Santa Justa Lift, an industrial age marvel, connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo, and is a striking urban landmark.
  • Carmo Convent stands as a poignant reminder of the devastation of the 1755 earthquake, with its roofless nave offering a unique glimpse into the city’s resilient past.
  • Praça do ComĂ©rcio is a grand riverside square that has been the gateway to Lisbon for centuries, framed by yellow Pombaline architecture and the Tagus River.
Resources
  • Lisbon is a very hilly city, and unfortunately, we cannot recommend this tour for wheelchair users. Although we have designed this tour to generally walk downhill, there may still be stairs and inclines that are difficult to navigate.
For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.

How should we arrive at the meeting point?
You can get to the viewpoint on foot, although it is a bit uphill. You can also easily order an Uber or taxi to bring you to meet your expert guide.

Can someone with mobility issues attend this tour?
Lisbon, overall, is quite a hilly city. Consider that there are mostly cobblestone streets and this is a walking tour that mainly visits the exterior of various locations. While we have designed the tour to generally walk downhill, there may be some stairs and inclines. We may then have difficulty and lack of control in curating the tour to fit the needs of someone with mobility issues. 
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
(4.9) 649 Reviews

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

This tour was the prefect way to start our trip in Lisbon. Bert was a great guide. He was so knowledgeable about Lisbon and was so helpful with answering all our questions. He showed us Lisbon in a way that we would never have been able to do on our own. We left the tour understanding so much more about the city and having a new found appreciation for Lisbon and Portugal. I would highly recommend this tour and Bert! It was so worth it.
It was an informative and fun tour, Bert. Thank you for giving historical context to what we can see in Lisbon today. I enjoyed it start to finish and would recommend your tour to others. The perfect way to start out my time in Lisbon!
We loved Ze, he was very kind, fun, and comfortable. We learned so much from him about Lisbon; he knows the city's history well. It was worth every penny to have him as our guide and we would love to have gone longer with him. He also gave us great ideas of what to do with the rest of our short stay in Lisbon. We loved Ze!